It seems Smokey has expanded his horizons to crack down not only on forest fires, but on drugs, too.

Last week, the Garfield County Sheriff's Office and members of the U.S. Forest Service cleaned up after a raid by a black bear on a marijuana operation.

Deputies arrived at Boulder Mountain to find bear prints, bite marks on cans and food containers, chewed-up pipes, and claw marks on several trees. The marijuana farmers were nowhere to be found.

"This particular bear apparently was not going to give up and basically chased these marijuana farmers away," Sheriff Danny Perkins said in a press release. "Our county is so tough on drugs that even the wildlife are getting in on the action."

Officials also found 888 young plants and about 4,000 starter sacks - small bags containing marijuana seeds, plant food and dirt - which are in the process of being destroyed.

"This bear is definitely law-enforcement minded," Sheriff Perkins said. "If I can find this bear I'm going to deputize him."



Copyright Brigham Young University 10 Sep 2008